Nature V Nurture

• what are nature supporters called - example

  nativisits (NOT naturists)

  early ones = Renes Descartes
• describe how Nature explains behaviour

  nature: influences inherited directly from biological parents, and over the longer term, our evolutionary ancestors
• what does nature explanations include - as well as directly inherited traits


  genetic behaviours which lie dormant and appear later through maturation,

  e.g Sz develops in teen/adulthood
• what are nurture supporters called - example

  Empiricits (NOT nuturists)

  early example: John Locke, argued all behaviour is caused by a persons environment
• what external environmental influences are there

  people = family, peers, wider society

  an individuals opportunities = education

  their physical environment = where they live

  prenatal environmental influences = mother smoking/drinking
• what does the debate centre around - then v now

  traditionally = 2 sided argument, people believed one or other, roots in philosophy

  Now = accepted as both important, but centered around which is more important/influencial
• how do we assess the degrees of nature & nurture

  using a heritability co-efficient
• what is the heritability co-efficient

  a number ranging from 0-1 to indicate the extent to which a characteristic has a genetic basis, 1 = entirely genetically determined, e.g IQ = 0.5
• where do the approaches sit on the nature v nurture debate

  Nature: Biological

  Cognitive

  Psychodynamic

  Humanist

  Nurture SLT/Behaviourist
• using examples, what are arguments for nature


  criminality = genetics (MAOA-L gene)

  Schizophrenia = polygenic

  Gender = chromosomes
• what evidence supports nature for criminality

  Osborne and West Study: sons of crimnal fathers = 40% had convictions, sons of non-criminal fathers = 13%
• what evidence supports nature for Schizophrenia

  concordance rates for twins:

  MZ = 48%

  DZ = 17%

  However: they share more similair environment and should be 100% for MZ if just genes
• what evidence supports nature for gender

  David Reimer case study:

  felt uncomfortable when defined as female, easily reverted back to biological gender
• give some examples of arguments for nurture

  Criminality =maternal deprivation/differential association

  Sz = family dysfunction (EE, Sz mother, double bind)

  gender = psychodynamic explanation
• what evidence supports nurture for criminality

  maternal deprivation: Bowlby's 44 theives study, 14 = affectionless psychopaths, 12/14 experienced prolonged seperation from mother

  differential association = Osborne and West Study
• what evidence supports nurture for Sz

  Tienari = found that adopted children with Sz parents were only more likely to receive a diagnosis if their family environment was disturbed = causal factor for onset of Sz
• what evidence supports nurture for gender

  Little Hans case study:

  resolution of Oedipus complex during phallic psychosexual stage led to identification of gender identity
• why is it difficult to assess the influence of nature and nurture

  impossible to estimate as environmental influences start at conception so they are closely intertwined

  even twin studies with high concordance could be environmental or genetic
• what is interactionalism


  the relative importance of both nature and nurture on behaviour and how they interact

  widely accepted now as both are essential for any behaviour
• what is one idea for how nature/nurture interact

  that people construct their own environments:

  an individual's characteristics (could be innate) may elict particular responses from other people, which in tern may influence their behaviour
• give an example of evidence that supports people constructing ones own environments


  Example = Fagot's study on gender: SLT/gender associations she found a tendency for teachers to respond more positively to 'female preferred' activities
• what is another idea for explaining how nature/nurture interact - example


  others take a view that an individual's genes are seen as setting upper and lower limits for their potential behaviour, within these limits an individual's behaviour may be determined by the environment

  Example = intelligence
• what is diathesis stress

  this suggests that a genetic predisposition or vulnerability toa disorder may exist, but will only develop if environmental stressors are present
• give an example of diathesis stress - whose evidence supports this

  Schizophrenia = may need a genetic pre-disposition, but also may require certain environmental triggers (e.g high EE, use of cannabis...)

  Evidence: Tienari study
• explain Tienari's study on Sz

  found that Sz was most likely if a person had a biological family history of mental illness (NATURE) combined with a 'dysfunctional' relationship with family (NURTURE)
• what is epigenetics


  the study of how the environment affects which genes are expressed
• how does the enviroment affect our genes

  aspects of our environment leave epigenetic marks on our DNA = these marks tell our body which genes to use and which to ignore
• what can these epigenetic markers go on to influence

  they influence the genetic code of our offspring
• how does epigenetics relate to the nature v nurture debate

  3rd variable of the debate:

  the life experience of our ancestors affect our genes
• what research has been performed into epigenetics

  lab mice were given electric shocks every time they were exposed to the smell of acetophenone (chemical in perfume), CC to have a fear response to the smell
• what did the findings show - what does this support

  the rats offspring showed fear to the perfume smell, depsite having never been conditioned themselves to fear it, their grandchildren also feared it:

  supports epigenetics as nurture affects nature, this is passed on through DNA onto offspring
• what are the concordance rates for twin studies on OCD

  Nesdadt:

  Mz = 68%

  Dz = 31%
• what do these rates suggest about N/N - however

  This supports that nature contributes to OCD - higher in Mz, share 100% DNA

  However: an element of nurture as Mz weren't 100%, it would be if only nature causes OCD, so nature cannot be the sole cause, nurture must also be involved
• what are the implications of supporting a nature side

  Nature = extreme deterministic stance that our inherited genetic makeup determines our behaviour has led to contraversy: socially sensitive research attempts to link race, genetics, intelligence and the application of eugenics policies
• what is meant by behaviour shaping (nurture)

  empiricists suggest that any behaviour can be changed by altering the environmental conditions
• what are the implications of supporting a nurture side

  Nurture: behaviour shaping has practical applications in therapy

  desirable behaviours = selectively reinforced and undesirable behaviours are punished/ignored in extremes - this may lead to advocate a model of society that controls/manipulates its citizens using these techniques
• what are the consequences of the nature/nurture implications

  we need to be careful when selecting a side as both have dangerous implications for the human race
• how can nature influence nurture - 2 ways

  - active influence

  - passive influence
• what is an active influence - example

  ACTIVE influence:

  people create their own nurture by actively selecting environments that are appropriate for their nature - called niche picking

  e.g: a naturally more aggressive child will choose environments that are similair to them = causing them to be more aggressive
• what is a passive influence - example

  PASSIVE influence:

  a parents genes determine aspects of behaviour = might then change or affect their offsprings environment, leading to changes in offspring's behaviour

  e.g: a parent with a genetic mental illness will then cause an influence on a child's behaviour